Under the terms of his fair board contract, Rippetoe will not be able to continue operating his consultancy business.

Fair board chairman Ron Carmicle said there were two finalists for Workman's position.

Carmicle deflected most questions about Rippetoe's qualifications, saying he was the search committee's recommended candidate.

"He has had significant experience in a lot of convention business," Carmicle said.

Tom Schifano, who led the search committee for the fair board, added that there were about 300 inquiries about the job. Ten candidates were considered, and four were interviewed by the search committee.

Schifano, a partners with insurance brokerage firm Neace Lukens, noted that Rippetoe grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and as a youth was a member of the FFA.

"Having that background in agriculture is very important," Schifano said.

He added that Rippetoe, "seems to have a real grasp on the issues facing convention centers."

Contract similar to current CEO's

Rippetoe's contract, Carmicle said, will be similar to that of Workman, who is paid about $250,000 per year.

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